The Bonds of Love
by Maria-Elric05
Summary: Kyo's a foster mother & always wanted kids to call her own. Rowen & Serenity have been dealing with the abuse at the hands of their father ever since their mother left & they want away from it all. Connection? Co-written w/ Princess Serenity Heavenslight
1. Chapter 1

_**Ronin Warriors: The Bonds of Love**_

**Chapter One**

It was a beautiful spring day and everyone was trying to enjoy. A young woman sat outside by the lakeside on the property that she owned. The sun was shining bright down upon everything that it touched. The water was still and quiet. She listened to the sounds of the birds chirping around them and the soft rustle of the wind in the leaves. Everything was peaceful. Only one thing could make this day any better.

Kyo had yearned for years to be a mother. She was a foster mother, but none of the kids stayed with her for very long. She wanted to adopt kids that would live with her permanently and that she could call her own. She didn't have a husband or boyfriend that she could have children with. She just had not found the right guy and was starting to believe she never would. She was starting to lose hope.

Meanwhile, across town a time of terror was according. A young boy with blue hair and a young girl with long lavender hair ran into their room, closing the door behind them and locking it. There was big bang on it, making them back up in fear.

"You brats better open up this door or you're gonna really get it and I mean it!" yelled the angry voice of their father on the other side.

"Rowen, what are we gonna do?" asked Serenity, scared of what was going to happen when their father busted through that door.

"We gotta get outta here. Come on." said Rowen, walking over to their window and opened it. He helped his sister out first and then he followed, getting out just as their father broke through the door and came at him when he saw him in the window.

The two of them took off running and didn't even look back.

"You get back here this instant or you're gonna regret the day you were ever born!" shouted their father behind them.

It didn't stop, nor did it even slow them down. They just kept on running, determined to never look back.

Not too far away, Kyo was in a mini mart grabbing some groceries. She had run low on food in her home so she had to get more, at least if she wanted to eat she did. Unless there were kids in the house, she only shopped for groceries when she had to. When there were kids in her home, she always kept food stocked up.

All of sudden, she started getting a bad feeling. She wasn't sure why she suddenly had this feeling; she just did out of nowhere. She paid for the groceries that she had than headed out. She was walking to her car with her groceries when she saw a couple young teens run around the corner, followed shortly by a man chasing them. They looked afraid of them man chasing them.

Kyo put down her groceries next to her car than stood on the sidewalk where the two could hide behind her and she could stand between them and the man chasing them. The two teens seemed to understand what she was doing and they stopped behind her. The man chasing them stopped too as she stood between them.

"Get out of my way, this is none of your business." said the man.

Kyo just glared. She knew what this man was doing, why he was chasing these two. He knew what his type did to their own children and it made her angry and sick.

"I said, get out of my way!" yelled the man, becoming angry.

"No, I will do no such thing. I know what you are doing and I will not let you do it anymore." said Kyo.

"Lady, get out of my way or I'll call the police." said the man.

"I am a cop, so go ahead." said Kyo, determined to stand her ground.

The man fell silent, not knowing what else to say. Finally, he just turned and walked away.

"You didn't have to do that." said Rowen.

"I know. I just know his type and I don't approve. People like that make me sick." said Kyo.

"Well, thank you for your help." said Serenity as she and her brother started walking away.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked Kyo.

"I don't know, but we don't really have many places to go." said Rowen.

"How about just coming home with me? I couldn't live with myself if I didn't let you stay with me and just let you leave. I'm not that kind of person. My house is anyone's home. I am a foster mother after all." said Kyo.

"So you're not really a cop?" asked Serenity.

"Of course I am, part time. I like being a foster mom more than anything. My brother's the big time cop though. He made deputy last year." said Kyo.

Rowen and Serenity looked at each other.

"Come on. At least come and let me make you something to eat. If you want to, it will give you time to think about staying with me at least for a while." said Kyo.

The look that Serenity gave her brother said that she wanted too but Rowen's look said he wasn't sure about, but thinking of his sister first he nodded. They were hungry after all.

Kyo grabbed her groceries as Rowen and Serenity got in the back seat.

Once the three of them got back to Kyo's house, she grabbed her groceries and got out while Rowen and Serenity sat in the car for a minute, gazing at their surroundings.

"You two can come in when you're ready." said Kyo. She knew it was best to let them move at their own pace. She headed inside, walking into the kitchen and setting down her groceries, grabbing out some food and she got started cooking. She heard the front door shut a few moments later. She poked her head out of the kitchen.

Rowen and Serenity stood in the living room, kind of gazing about curiously.

"Feel free to look around if you like. This whole lake is mine." said Kyo. She then headed back into the kitchen to finish cooking. She could hear the two of them walking around, exploring. She couldn't help but smile. It reminded her of all the kids that she took her as a foster mom.

Once the food was done, she made plates for all three of them than walked into the dining room, setting each plate at a place on the table. She then headed to find Rowen and Serenity. She didn't have to look for long though, because they were upstairs checking out the bedrooms. They were each standing in one, across from each other.

"Hey. I made something to eat if you guys are hungry." said Kyo.

Both turned to look at her. Serenity seemed a little bit startled, but Rowen was more on the defensive side, as though ready for any danger.

"Thank you." said Rowen, easing up just slightly.

Kyo turned and headed back downstairs. She walked over and sat down at the dining room table, slowly beginning on her food while she waited for them.

Rowen and Serenity walked down a few minutes later. They walked over, sat down next to each other at the table, and began to eat.

"What are your names?" asked Kyo.

"I'm Rowen, this is my little sister Serenity." said Rowen.

"You know, if you two would like, I can help you. I know why that man was chasing you and what he has done to you; I've seen it enough to know. I'm guessing that the man is your father. However, if I am going to help you, I need to know just how bad it is." said Kyo.

Both of them were silent at first. They seemed to be thinking, or were unsure if they even wanted to answer. Serenity continued eating, but Rowen looked at Kyo. She knew that look.

"As bad as you can imagine I guess." said Rowen.

"Where's your mother?" asked Kyo, her heart going out to these two.

"We don't know. I was 12 when she left, sis was only 8 at the time. We don't even know why she left us, what made her leave. Or even why she would leave us with him." said Rowen.

Kyo could see Rowen clench up his fist. It was obvious to her just had sad and frustrated he was. She wished that there was a way that she could change what they had been through, that she could take away their pain, but she knew she couldn't. All she could do was take them away from it and give them a new home, if they really wanted that. She had to give them the choice; she couldn't force it on them.

"If you will let me, I can help you. I can get you away from what your father is doing to you, and if you would like, I can offer you a new place to live, a new home but only if that is what you want. I don't want you to have to go back to that. You shouldn't have to." she said.

"Why? Why would you do that? Why would you help us? Why would you want to help us?" asked Rowen.

"It's the way I am, because I care, because I want to. I've seen kids who are going through what you are going through. I may not know you guys, but I care anyway. No child should have to go through this. And I want to stop it from happening anymore. You don't have to be alone. You can trust me. I won't hurt you and I won't let anyone else hurt you again. So please, let me help you." said Kyo.

Rowen looked at Serenity and Serenity looked at Rowen. They just stared at each other for a while. Then Serenity shrugged her shoulders. Rowen sighed than looked back at Kyo.

Kyo held her breath, waiting for the answer.

"First, how do you plan on helping us?" asked Rowen.

"Like I said before, my brother is a deputy. I can give him a call and your father will no longer be a problem." said Kyo.

Sometime later found the three of them standing with Kyo's brother, Deputy Kenji Dohji and two other officers on the porch of the Hashiba house. Kyo's brother had knocked and they were just waiting for Rowen and Serenity's father to answer.

A few minutes later, the door was yanked open and there stood Mr. Hashiba, looking furious.

"Mr. Hashiba, we need you to step outside with these officers while your children grab their belongings." said Deputy Kenji.

"And why the hell should I do that?" demanded Mr. Hashiba.

"We have a court order to remove these children from your home due to abuse. Please step outside or you will be removed by force." said Deputy Kenji.

Mr. Hashiba stepped out on to the porch, glaring daggers at Rowen and Serenity as they walked by with Kyo, followed by her brother. The other officers stood in front of the doorway.

Rowen and Serenity walked to their bedroom with Kyo and Deputy Kenji.

"Grab everything that you will need. You will be staying with my sister while we track down your mother and any other relatives you may have." said Deputy Kenji.

"Don't bother, she doesn't want us. No one in our family does." said Rowen.

"It's procedure I'm afraid." said Deputy Kenji.

Rowen just nodded than he and Serenity gathered everything they needed, leaving behind what they didn't care for.

Once Rowen and Serenity had everything, Kyo drove them back her house. She helped them unload and even unpack.

Kyo headed downstairs once they were both unpacked when Rowen's voice made her stop.

"Thank you. Thank you for all of your help."

Kyo turned around and smiled at Rowen, who stood at the top of the stairs.

"You're welcome. The both of you are more than welcome here. My home is your home if you want it to be." she said.

Rowen nodded than headed back to what was now his room.


	2. Chapter 2

Serenity looked around her new room. This was the first time in the last 3 years that she had been left alone. It was a bit frightening. She looked back through her door and at Rowen in his own room, but he looked busy and she didn't want to disturb him.

When their mother left, their father had become enraged. The first thing he did was move the family to a smaller house. Serenity and Rowen started to share a room. The children did not mind this. They felt safer being together.

Rowen started his new school, but Serenity was kept at home with their father. "The females in this family are not trustworthy" he spat when she asked why she couldn't go to school. He had slapped her face before dragged over and locked into a closet.

She had cried for hours begging to be let out, but her cries and pleas were ignored.

Finally she sat on the floor her knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. She rested her head on her knees and let the tears fall. When the door was unlocked and opened, she backed away in fear.

"Serenity?" Rowen entered the closet. He knelt before his sister and touched her face "What happened?" His voice was kind, but she could see the anger in his face. He took his sister in his arms and carried her to their bedroom being careful to shut the closet door.

He examined her face in the light and frowned. He gently touched the area then sighed in relief "Nothing is broken" Taking her chin in his hand he looked directly in her eyes. "Serenity Marie" her lip trembled "I need you to tell me what happened"

The girl sighed at this memory. What had happened next was so horrible. She had been forced to watch their father beat Rowen until he almost passed out. Her punishment was being forced back into the closet for a few days.

She went to her bed and picked up a stuffed animal and held it close to her.

Rowen had given her a stuffed animal that was filled with dried lavender. She had issues sleeping and during the night would climb into bed with him and sleep. At first he was fine with this, but as they got older he felt awkward having his sister in bed with him so he had gotten her the plushie.

Serenity curled up on her bed and laid there with her special plushie. She closed her eyes and hoped that the bad times were over and that she and her brother could finally have a home.

Kyo was downstairs pondering the day's events. She hadn't had any foster children in her care in over two months and suddenly she had two of them.

She knew that it was going to take a long time for them to heal. She hoped that the brother and sister would want her in their lives and would be willing to stay in their home.  
Her thoughts went to the young girl. She seemed so sweet and was so quiet. Very unusual for a girl her age. When Kyo had been that age she had been very talkative and boy crazy. She supposed that her quietness was a result from the abuse.

Then she remembered how Serenity had behaved when her brother Kenji and the officers had shown up. The look on the girls face indicated that she was terrified.  
Rowen had put his arms around his little sister and held her close to him. Serenity hadn't let Kenji near her and when they went to the bedroom, she had kept her distance.  
Kyo felt sick. She wondered if maybe Serenity had been sexually violated.

If she had been would she be willing to tell anyone? Maybe Rowen knew, although Kyo debated if she should ask him or not.

If he didn't know then who knows what his reaction would be, but from the way he acted around his sister Kyo had a pretty good idea.

Rowen finished getting his new room the way he liked it. It was going to take some getting used to having a room of his own again. He had gotten use to sharing it with his sister, but now that he was getting older he needed some privacy from time to time and it was hard.

He knew that Serenity was with their father at all times when he was at school, but he didn't know what happened during the day. He would ask his sister, but she always refused to tell him.

The abuse had gotten worse and worse at home. Serenity became withdrawn and frightened and Rowen began having issues with anger. Sadly no one could help them. Until now. Mr. Hashiba had ensured that neither of his children would speak of the abuse.

Rowen he had told each day and after each beating that if he dared tell anyone about the abuse, he would disappear and take Serenity with him and he would never see his sister again. If Rowen truly cared for his sister he would keep his mouth shut.

Now that Kyo and the law knew about the abuse he grew fearful. He didn't want anything to happen to his sister. She had been his since the day their Mother had brought her home from the hospital.

Whenever Serenity had been hurt or scared she had gone to him. He was the one who always dried her tears and soothed her fears. He had been her protector. Now that the truth was out he would have to work even harder so they could stay together always.

Wondering how his sister was doing in a new place he went out to search for her. It wasn't difficult locating her. She was in her new room curled on her bed clutching the stuffed animal he had given her years ago. He had warned her to hide it for if their father had known about it he would have destroyed it and they both would have suffered the heavy consequences.

Rowen entered her room and knelt before his sister. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was light and even, so he knew she was asleep. He climbed onto the bed and without waking her he moved her so her head was in his lap. His hand genty ran through her long hair as he to shut his eyes and stayed by his sister's side.


	3. Chapter 3

Kyo walked up the stairs to check on Rowen and Serenity, make sure that they were making themselves comfortable in their new home, temporary or not. She hoped it wasn't temporary. Those two were starting to grow on her and she cared about them both a lot. She didn't want to see them suffer anymore.

Kyo first peeked into Rowen's room, but he wasn't in there. She ended up finding them both in Serenity's room, asleep. She couldn't help but smile as she grabbed a spare blanket and covered them up. She thought it best to let them sleep since they had been through a lot and would be for a while until things got straightened out.

As she was heading downstairs, there was a knock on the front door. Wondering who it could be, she walked over and opened to find that on the side stood her father.

"Dad, what are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you of course." said Kyo, giving her father a hug.

"I just got a call from Kenji. He told me you saved a couple kids from their abusive father." said Anubis as Kyo let him in.

"I'm trying to, still got a ways to go though. As of right now, their stay with me is just temporary until we can permanently get them away from their father." said Kyo

"You're never going to let them go back to their dad are you?" asked Anubis.

"No, I'm not. Those two deserve much better than that." said Kyo.

"That's my girl." said Anubis, hugging his daughter.

"I just hope that everything goes well for them. I just want what is the best for them." said Kyo.

Right then, there was a sound from the stairs and both Kyo and Anubis looked to see Rowen and Serenity standing on the steps, Serenity hiding behind her brother.

"Hey guys. This is my father, Anubis." said Kyo.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you both." said Anubis, waving to them.

Both of them remained quiet, Rowen standing protectively in front of his sister watching Anubis while Serenity held onto her brother looking terrified.

Just then, Kyo could see Serenity shaking and it seemed that she was suddenly having trouble breathing. Rowen noticed too.

"Serenity, are you okay?" asked Kyo.

Before Serenity could answer, she started to collapse and Rowen barely had time to even catch her and prevent her from hitting the ground.

"Serenity!" exclaimed Rowen as he laid her down and Kyo and Anubis ran over. "What's wrong with her?"

"I think she's having a panic attack. We need to get to a hospital." said Kyo.

Anubis took Serenity from Rowen and took her out to the car, Kyo and Rowen following right behind him. Anubis placed Serenity in the back seat than Rowen climbed in beside her. Kyo got in the driver seat while Anubis got in the passenger seat and Kyo drove to the hospital.

At the hospital, Kyo, Rowen and Anubis were forced to wait in the waiting room while the nurses took Serenity back to run some tests. Rowen was feverishly pacing back and forth.

"Rowen, you're gonna burn a hole in the floor if you don't sit down soon." said Kyo.

"I can't." said Rowen.

"I understand that you're worried about your sister, but Serenity is gonna be just fine. The doctors are taking care of her right now." said Kyo.

"You don't understand. Serenity is scared of men." said Rowen.

"Why is she afraid of men?" asked Kyo.

"She won't tell me." said Rowen as he stopped pacing.

"You think maybe it's something your father did to her, something really bad?" asked Kyo.

"I don't know." said Rowen, hanging his head. He wished he did know so he could help his sister but she would never tell him what went on while she was alone with their father.

Kyo thought it best not to question further. It was obvious that Rowen knew nothing of what had happened to his sister. She thought of talking to Serenity but the girl had already had one panic attack and she didn't want to cause another. She had noticed the way that Serenity had acted around her brother and now, she had a panic attack when her father came to visit. Poor girl had already been put through enough.

Right then, the doctor came over to the waiting room.

"Any of you the family of Serenity?" asked doctor.

"Yes, I'm her guardian now; this is her brother and my father. How is she?" asked Kyo.

"You were right, it was a panic attack. I'm afraid we had to sedate her though because she wouldn't allow us to help her any other way." said the doctor as he led them to Serenity's room.

When they reached Serenity's room, Rowen immediately went to his sister's side. Kyo and Anubis stayed with the doctor, sensing that there was more.

"When we were running tests, we checked her for signs of sexual assault. I'm afraid we found signs of assault that had gone on for years." said the doctor.

Kyo looked in sadly at Rowen and Serenity. She was not all that surprised to hear this news with the way that she had seen Serenity add around guys other than her brother, but it still saddened her to think this happened to such a beautiful girl.

Anubis saw the way that his daughter was watching the two teenagers in that hospital room. He felt the same way. He placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

Kyo looked up her father when she felt him place his hand on her shoulder.

"There was nothing you could have done my dear." said Anubis.

"You're right Dad, there wasn't but now there is something I can do." said Kyo. She turned her attention to the doctor. "Can I get a copy of the file for child services?"

"Of course, I'll have one of my nurses make the copy and bring it to you." said the doctor and he walked off.

Anubis looked at his daughter curiously.

"I'll be damned if I let these kids go back to their father after what he did to his own daughter. And who knows what he did to Rowen." said Kyo.

Anubis just smiled at his daughter, proud that she was standing up for these kids. They deserved better than the life they had been living.

After the nurse brought Kyo the copy of Serenity's medical file, Kyo took Rowen aside to talk to him privately.

"What's going on with my sister?" asked Rowen. He knew by the look on Kyo's face that it wasn't anything good.

"My instincts were correct, unfortunately. Your father did more to her than you even knew." said Kyo.

Rowen couldn't believe it. He had suspected something had happened to his sister at the hands of their father when he wasn't home, but hearing it for himself he almost couldn't believe it. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

"I'm so sorry Rowen." said Kyo. She went to place her hand on his shoulder but he pulled away. She watched him pace for a minute.

Rowen ran his hands through his hair, his face full of mixed emotions. He was angry but at the same time, he was hurt of the pain that he could only imagine that his sister had gone through while he was at school. He felt guilty for having to leave her alone with him.

"I'm so sorry Rowen, I wish that I could have been able to do something sooner. But I can promise you that the two of you will never have to go back there if I have any say in this." said Kyo.

"I should never have left her alone with him." said Rowen.

"No, Rowen, this is not your fault. There was nothing that you could have done." said Kyo, taking Rowen by the arm and making him sit down than she knelt in front of him. "You can not blame yourself for what happened to your sister. Who knows what your father could have done to you if you had tried to help her."

"He threatened to take her away." said Rowen.

"What?" asked Kyo, confused by what Rowen had just told her.

"When our mother left, our father pulled Serenity from school, saying that females are not trustworthy. He told me that if I said anything to anyone about the abuse he was putting us through, he would take Serenity away and I would never see her again. I just had no idea he was doing 'that' to her. I wish I had said something to someone." said Rowen, looking at the floor.

Kyo could see a trace of a tear fall down Rowen's cheek onto the floor. She couldn't help herself. She put her arms around the boy in front of her and hugged him. She felt his body shake as he began to cry onto her shoulder. She felt him wrap his arms around her and hold onto her tightly.

Kyo felt a motherly instinct to protect this brother and sister. They had been through enough and she wanted to get them as far away from their father as she possibly could. If she was able to adopt them, she would protect them no matter what the cost might be. They deserved a better life than the way they had been living with their father and she wanted to be the one to provide it for them. She felt that they had been sent to her for a reason. Fate had brought them to her and she was not going to let anything happen to them anymore. She was going to do what their own mother should have done. She was going to be a true mother to them. Now it was just a matter of getting the courts to let her have them for good and adopt them as her own.


	4. Chapter 4

When Serenity woke up, she was surprised to find that Rowen was with her. He hadn't been with her since they had returned from their father's house and she had figured he wanted to be alone and hadn't gone to him. Rowen stirred and looked down at his sister.

"Morning sunshine." she said teasing him and sitting up she looked into his eyes. "How come you're in here?" she asked him quietly.

Smiling at his sister, Rowen touched her face. "Did you honestly think I was going to leave my baby sister in a strange place all by herself for very long?"

She shook her head no. "But Ro, you looked like you were busy and I I didn't wanna disturb you."

Rowen held his sister close to him. "Don't worry about me Serena. I will always be there for you. No matter what."

They broke apart when they heard a noise at the door. The sibling's looked at each other. Getting off the bed, Rowen took hold of Serenity's hand and led her out the room. They went to the head of stairs and saw an older gentleman speaking with Kyo. Rowen stood in front of Serenity and hid her from view. He felt her grab the back of his shirt and could feel her trembling. He turned and looked at her.

"Ro, I'm scared." she whispered looking up at him with frightened eyes.

Putting a finger to his lips, he indicated for her to be quiet. "Shsssh sis. Don't worry. Everything will be alright." He gave her a reassuring smile than turned around.

The adults hearing Rowen turned around and what happened next was a whirl wind on emotions for Rowen.

Kyo had driven them to the hospital when Serenity had collapsed.

Rowen held onto his sister and when she was whisked away by the staff, he wasn't happy about having to let his sister out of his sight. He kept pacing until Kyo said something and he told her that she was scared of men and he didn't know why. This time he was going to find out. She had to tell him. When he, Anubis, and Kyo had been allowed to the back to Serenity's room he had immediately gone to Serenity's side and took her hand in his own.

Serenity's eyes were unfocused from being sedated, but she knew her brother's touch and held on tightly.

"Ro, I wanna go home." she told him quietly.

Rowen nodded. "I know sis, we'll go home soon. I won't allow them to keep you here."

Later when Kyo pulled Rowen aside and told him what she had suspected when she saw how Serenity reacted around her brother and what the doctors had found he had felt sick and his heart broken at the thought of his sweet sister having to go through so much.

Finally the doctor came in and said Serenity could go home. He wrote a prescription for Serenity and gave it to Anubis while Kyo helped the girl get dressed.  
Rowen came in the room and wrapped his arm around Serenity's waist and helped her to the car.

Once in the car she put her head against Rowen's shoulder and slept while Kyo drove to a drug store to have the prescription filled. Anubis went inside while Kyo waited in the car with the brother and sister.

She turned and watched them for a moment before speaking. "Rowen, I promise you that you and your sister will be safe. I won't let anyone hurt either one of you again."

The teenager looked up at her and she could see the anger in his eyes. "How do you know that? Your brother said we'd only be with you temporarily. I refuse to have us go back to that hell hole."

Serenity stirred a little and he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "If they try and send us back to him, I'm taking my sister and we're leaving. I could pass for 18, so it shouldn't be that hard to leave."

Kyo sighed. "And how are you going to support yourselves?" she asked him. "Rowen it takes a lot of effort and energy, not to mention money to support one person and even more so support another. I'll do what I can to keep you both with me."

Rowen said nothing and looked down at his sister.

Kyo wanted to say some more, but Anubis had come out holding a bag and she felt that the conversation could wait for later.

Once back at the house, Rowen carried a sleeping Serenity up the stairs and to her room. Anubis offered, but one look from Rowen silenced him, so instead he joined his daughter in the kitchen.

With trembling hands Kyo offered her father a piece of coffee cake she had baked that morning. However, he took the coffee pot away from her before she started to pour him a cup.

"It'll be alright my darling." he told her gently. "In time, Rowen will come around and Serenity will heal. You'll see."

Kyo sat down at the table and stared at her hands.

"Dad I've never had a child before who was sexually abused. I don't know what I'm going to do. I can handle Rowen's anger as most of the children, who have stayed with me have had anger issues, but with Serenity it's going to be a new experience for me." She paused. "I hope Rowen will let me step up and take the role of being a parent so he can be a teenager and enjoy his life"

Anubis looked at his daughter. "What do you mean step up and take the role of being a parent? He's her brother, not her father." he said patiently.

Kyo shook her head. "This has been known to happen. When a parent is absent or abusive the older child will take care of the younger children. I have no idea how long the abuse has been going on. All I know is when their Mother left them. Rowen has been both Mother and Father to Serenity for so long now."

Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Anubis took a sip and looked at his daughter. "The only advice I can give you my dear is just to love them and never stop loving them."

Kyo poured herself a cup of coffee, but she didn't touch it.

"What kind of Mother goes and leaves her children?" she asked quietly.

Anubis did not know how to answer his daughter and so they both sat in silence.

~Upstairs~

Rowen placed his sister on her bed and watched her sleep.

He hated to do so, but he had to wake her up and find out exactly what had happened to her while he was in school.

Every morning she had begged him not to go to school, but he had no choice. Unless he was deathly ill, their Father forced him out the door to go to school.

Recalling the time he had the flu severe enough that he had to stay home, their father had been so angry and yet despite her brother being ill, Serenity had been delighted and stayed close to her brother. He tried to send her out of the room as he didn't want her sick, but she had ignored him, something she had never done before and stayed close to him.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Rowen gently shook his sister awake.

Serenity opened her eyes and looked at her brother. "Ro, five more minutes please" she begged and tried to roll over, but Rowen held onto her and looked into her eyes.

"Serenity the doctors said you were..." He took a deep breath. "..sexually violated. Please, you need to tell me what happened."

Tears came to the girls eyes and she shook her head. "I can't tell you Rowen."

Rowen helped his sister sit up and held her close to him.

Serenity wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest listening to the beating of his heart.

"If I say anything, he'll take me away and I'll never see you again." she whispered.

Rowen looked down at his sister. "Look around sis. He's not here. I'll NEVER let him hurt you again."

"What if we have to go back?"

He shook his head. "We'd never go back. I already told Kyo that if anyone tries to force us to go back that I am taking you and we'll disappear. Some place no one would ever thing of finding us."

The teenagers sat in silence for a while. Serenity listening to the beating of her brother's heart and Rowen simply hugging his sister. Finally Serenity spoke and Rowen could feel the anger inside of him with every word she told him.

Each day after Rowen had left for school, Serenity had been given the most revealing clothes to put on while their father watched.

Twice a month he had taken her down to a salon and paid money to have facials, full waxings, manicures and pedicures. During one of those visits he would have her hair receive a conditioning treatment.

Once she had been presented to him and was flawless, he took her to a photo studio and had her picture taken.

He took her into bars and paid the bouncers to let her come in though it had been quite obvious that she was under age.

He would have her sit next to him at the bar and men would come to him a pay him money than take her to a dark part of the bar and sit close to her in a booth and cuddle with her and kiss her neck and touch her however they pleased.

The men had rubbed their hand up and down her body and touched her chest all under the watchful eye of her father. The more money they paid the longer they got with her.

Each day before Rowen came home, she changed her clothes with her father watching. If she had any marks on her neck, she had to cover them up even if it was hot outside.

Rowen had questioned Serenity once when he came home and found her wearing a turtle neck and jeans and it was close triple digits. She shrugged her shoulders and said she was cold. Rowen had felt her forehead for a fever. She felt clammy, and he had made her go to bed.

One week Rowen had been gone out of town on a class trip and Serenity had been left with their father. He hadn't wanted to go, but their father had informed Rowen that he had paid for the trip already and for him to get his ass to the school and get on the bus.

"I love you." Rowen had whispered to his sister before leaving.

Their father had taken Serenity out and had her get the usual treatment at the salon and again to a bar.

They had been sitting at the bar for nearly an hour and there had been no paying customers and Serenity knew her father was getting angry, but not with the lack of customers, but with her.

Suddenly someone had come up and paid for an hours worth. The girl was led away and her father pleased with finally having some money, sat at the bar drinking it away and paid no attention to his daughter or the customer.

It had been the same as usual. The man was touchy feely and kissing her neck, but then he started touching her really hard and when she attempted to pull away and the man and slapped her across the face.

Serenity looked towards her father, but he was drinking away and she knew he would be drunk before the session was over with. Rubbing her body with his hands, the man kept it up, but when he started to put his hands underneath her clothes, Serenity had enough. Using her newly manicured nails, she raised her hands and scratched the man's face and neck hard enough to draw blood.

Howling in pain, he grabbed Serenity by the hair and pulled her from the booth and dragged her to her father and threw her at him causing the man to spill his drink all over himself.

Swearing, he shoved his daughter aside and glared at the man.

"What in the HELL was that for." he demanded and took in the man's appearance. His eyes grew wide and gave the man the rest of his money before grabbing his daughter by the arm and dragged her away.

Ignoring his daughter's plea's and story of what had happened, he said not a word until they got home then he turned on her.

"You filthy little bitch if a slut." he snarled. "I pay so men will want you and this is how you repay me?" Serenity cowered away from her father. "No man will ever want you now."

Then he went down to the basement and returned carrying a metal pipe.

Grabbing his daughter, he had struck her repeatedly until her entire body was bruised and bloody. He had then dragged her outside to where a dog house had been left by a previous owner and fastening a collar and tie down around her neck had shoved her inside the filthy and spider infested building.

Swearing under his breath and thankful that the fence was pretty high, he had left his daughter outside as the sky grew dark with a coming storm.

Serenity was left outside in the rain, thunder and lighting and was given nothing to eat.

A couple of hours before Rowen was due to come home, she had been released. Given a bar of soap and some shampoo, she washed outside and then was allowed to come in and make herself presentable for her brother.

When Rowen had come home he had been relieved to see his sister safe and sound or so he had thought. She had hugged her tightly and followed him all over, not letting him out of her sight and staying outside the bathroom door when he went inside.

Serenity finished telling her story and cried into Rowen's chest. Even the beating of his heart could not soothe her now.

Not knowing what to say or do, Rowen just sat there with his sister in his arms. However, he swore that no male would ever touch his sister again.


End file.
